Beehive



BEST AvAsLABLE @Op S. STANSBERRY.

Bee Hive;

Patented March 2, 1858.

esst AVAILABLE coe ''NirED STATES PATENT OFFICE S. STANSBERRY, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

BEEHIVE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 19,520, dated March 2., 1858,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SOLOMON STANSBERRY, of Knoxville, in the county of Blount and State of Tennessee, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Beehives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 2 are vertical central sections of a bee-house and hives, showing my improvement. Fig. 3 is a detached side view of a portion of my improvement, viz. a cylinder and a portion of; its concave, the latter being bisected longitudinally through its center.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in a peculiar means employed for destroying, within the hive, the eggs of the bee-moth, thereby preventing their accumulation within the hive, and consequently the destruction of the hive by them.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I

will proceed to describe it.

A represents a case or box, which may be of rectangular form, and B, B, B, represent three rectangular boxes, which are placed side by side within the said case or box. The back sides of these boxes have each a square of glass (a), fitted in them. On each box B, a smaller box C, is placed; the bottom (ax) of each of these boxes C, being allowed to slide and having slots (b) made through them, corresponding slots (c) being made through the top of the boxes B. The boxes B are hives, and the smaller boxes C, are spare honey boxes, arranged as will be seen in the usual way; the bottom slides (ax) and the slats (o) therein, as well as the slots (c) in the tops of the boxes B, allowing the bees to pass into and work in the spare boxes when the slots register with each other, and also allowing the communication to be cut Off when desired. The hives B are not provided with bottoms, and the lower ends of their sides (d) rest on the upper or external surfaces of concaves (e) which are fitted within the case or box A; said concaves extending from the front to the back end of the case or box A.

D, D, D,- D, represent cylinders, the front and back ends of which are fitted in the case A, a cylinder being underneath its concave; the several concaves encompassing the upper parts of the cylinders. The concaves (c) are not concentric with the cylinders D; their lower edges project a little outward from it, as shown at (f) in Fig. 2. The cylinders D, as well as the case A, and hives or boxes B may be constructed of wood, and the concaves (e) may be made of metal.

The bottom of the case A is formed of four parts E, F, F, F;the parts F being hinged to the part E. A part F is placed directly underneath each hive B, the parts F adjoining each other, andrhaving their edges at their upper sides hollowed out to form a concave, as shown at (g), so that when the parts F are raised, the concaves of two adjoining parts F will form a concave for the under part of the cylinder directly above them; this will be clearly'understood by referring to Fig. 2. The edge of each part F has a cleat attached to it, and these cleats are also hollowed out so as to increase t-he height or dimensions of the lower concaves. The upper and lower con` caves do not quite meet; a space (i) is allowed at each side, as seen in Fig. 2. The parts F, are perforated, and the perforations are covered with wire cloth (j). The tops of the boxes C are Valso perforated, and covered with wire cloth (la). The front of the case or box A is perforated and also the fronts of the hives B, as shown at (Z) (m) to form entrances to the hives, and these entrances are covered by a box Gr, provided with a flap H, which may be closed at night to guard against the entrance of the moth, and closed in winter when necessary to prevent the bees from passing out; see Fig. l. The parts F are fastened or secured upward to the case A, by battens (n), or

other suitable fastenings. The upper parts also grooved between the cleats to form perfect concaves.

Ihen the bee-moth succeeds in getting izo essi AvmtAete coe Within the hives, it deposits its eggs in small crevices such as cracks in the boards and similar places Where the eggs will be secure until they are hatched, and the Worms can succeed in forming their cocoon, and be protected thereby from the bees, While feeding -on the conib. Therefore, if the moths enter a hive having my improve nient applied to it, they will naturally deposit their eggs in the crevices between the flaring ends of the conca-ves (e) (g) and cylinders D; and if the cylinders D be turned occasionally, the eggs or Worms will be crushed between the cylinders and Thus it Will be seen that by a little attention, viz., the occasional. turning of the cylinders D, .the propagation of these insects Within the hive will be prevented, and consequently, the destruction of the hive Will also be prevented;

I Would remark that each cylinder may have a knob A attached, said knobs being at the outer side of the case, for the purpose of allowing the cylinders D to be turned with facility.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that it is not essential that several hives be inclosed within a case in order that my improvement may be applied to it; for cyl* inders may be placed in a single hive uninclosed; but it is preferable to have the hives protected by a oase, as the case makes the hives cool in suonner and Warm in Win ter, thus serving to keep thein at an even temperature.

i do not claini inclosing one or more hives within a ease or box A, for this has been il'neviouslv done, nor do l claim spare honey boxes C, lapplied to the hives B, for these are connnonly used, but

Having thus described my invent-ion, What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

The cylinders D, placed Within the hives or below them, and tted Within concaves (a), (g), arranged in any proper Way so as to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

S. STANSBERRY.

Witnesses z y CORNELIUS lVoLF, A. Bnoons. 

